University welcomes Shadow Mental Health Minister

1 March 2016

Luciana
Berger MP visits new Brain Research Imaging Centre

Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health Luciana
Berger MP has visited the University to see first-hand how investment in
world-class facilities will make a real difference in helping researchers better
understand mental illness.

Luciana Berger visited Cardiff University Brain
Research Imaging Centre, the new £44m facility which hosts a combination of
equipment unique in Europe. It will have
the capacity to open new windows on the brain and help researchers to
understand the causes of conditions such as dementia, schizophrenia and
multiple sclerosis.

Her visit comes ahead of University Mental Health
and Wellbeing Day on 3 March, which aims to promote the mental health of people
who live and work in the higher education sector.

During her time at the University Luciana Berger
also visited the University’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute,
which has brought together academic strengths in psychiatry, neuroscience and
psychology to take new discoveries and translate them into
greater understanding and diagnosis of mental illness and brain disorders.

She also met with researchers from the National
Centre for Mental Health who are building a databank of around 4,000 volunteers
to provide scientists with the materials to find out more about what causes
mental health problems such as depression, bipolar
disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD and PTSD, together with leading efforts in the community to
tackle stigma associated with mental illness.

Luciana Berger MP, Shadow Cabinet Minister for
Mental Health said: “We need a revolution in the ways we perceive and treat
mental illness in the UK. One of the main changes has to be a shift towards
prevention of mental illness, and that starts with a clearer understanding of
its causes. That's why I am delighted to visit the world-class research
centre here in Cardiff, and meet such dedicated experts. The work they do
is inspirational. I am confident it will lead to improved treatments for mental
illness for millions of people.”

Professor Derek Jones, Director of the University’s
Brain Research Imaging Centre, said: “Cardiff University has a strong track
record in terms of mental health research. The investment in world-leading
facilities such as these further enhances Cardiff’s reputation as a centre of
excellence. By working closely with
industry and policymakers, researchers can translate scientific advances into
real benefits for patients both in Wales, and worldwide”.